Supporting customer pandemic and emergency preparedness planning
By Linda Rouse O’Neill
National Influenza Vaccination Week is just around the corner (December 7-13), providing opportunities for customer discussions about seasonal and pandemic situation needs. HIDA recently released its 2014 Influenza Vaccine Production and Distribution Market Brief, featuring new insights into the flu products supply chain including updated information from our annual “Flu Products Survey” of distributors.
The last week of December is usually the most active for influenza-like illness outpatient visits, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it’s important to be well aware of key vaccine demand trends to help aid your customers’ preparedness planning. Manufacturers project anywhere between 153-158 million distributed flu vaccine doses for the 2014-2015 flu season. Distributors indicate that the two most popular forms of doses providers purchase are multi-dose (82.35 percent) and pre-filled (11.76 percent).
Although physician offices remain the most common site for flu vaccination among adults — as well as children — retail pharmacy flu visits grew by more than 2 percent between 2012 and 2013. Convenience and accessibility are key for those seeking vaccinations; declining visits at doctor’s offices or other medically-related places in favor of retail clinics reflect this trend.
Vaccine sales in physician office settings represent a healthy share of the market at nearly one-third of adult vaccinations. If you’re not already doing so, check with your customers across care settings to ensure they are well equipped with vaccines, the medical products needed to support vaccination, and rapid flu tests.
Additionally, some providers have to report the percentage of their patients who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine as part of quality reporting requirements for Medicare reimbursement. These reporting programs required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are across the continuum of care and are in various stages of implementation:
- CY 2014 Physician Quality Reporting Program: Percent of patients who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine;
- FY 2015 Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program: Percent of patients who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine;
- FY 2015 Long-Term Care Hospital Quality Reporting Program: Influenza vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel (HCP);
- FY 2015 Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program: Influenza vaccination coverage among HCP;
- CY 2016 Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program: Influenza vaccination coverage among HCP;
- CY 2016 ASC Quality Reporting Program: Influenza vaccination coverage among HCP; and
- While not directly tied to Medicare reimbursement, eight of the 34 quality measures currently used in CMS’s Nursing Home Quality Initiative are related to seasonal influenza immunization.
Subhead: Ebola maintains national attention
Pandemic and emergency preparedness are top of mind for healthcare providers as Ebola continues to garner international focus. Visit www.HIDA.org for real-time resources, which include a preparedness planning document for distributors and updates from the CDC including recommended personal protective equipment.
For additional information about the current flu season and emergency preparedness customer strategies, please contact us at HIDAGovAffairs@hida.org.